I would like to hear from ANYONE who has either gotten a little better, especially with anxiety and depression. Even if you take an antidepressant. If not, then ANYONE who has learned to get used to it or cope with it and lead some sort of life again. I am running on an empty tank so to speak. Every day is a walk through hell.
trust me, i feel you. however, i was in that hell for the first year or so after quitting … but, if you treat your body well, you will improve
may i recommend fish oil and apple cider vinegar? i like these two things very much and they have helped.
hang in there man, i know this is unreal, but managing your everyday will become easier as time goes.
we have your back man, tell us if you need to talk
How much fish oil do you take?
I bought a bottle in liquid form and would mix in a teablespoon or so with a shot of orange juice … not too much … but it does help … trust me, this will get easier, do not lose hope man
This mess can feel very cyclical… hormones dictate our mood a tremendous amount, and it’s something we have very little control over. I lose hope a lot when I go through a stretch of bad days. Nearly two years off of the drug, when I start feeling bad, I feel like good days are over and done with. And then either by chance or through some effort (positive thinking, getting out and being active, trying to accept the things I cannot control, and/or breaking my routine that keeps me more depressed than I usually realize) I am able to feel better again. I can tell you last week I went from severely depressed and crying for several days (I hadn’t felt really depressed in probably two months… just some brain fog and a little blue from time to time) to feeling very high yesterday. I was funny, I was hungry, I had energy, I was singing along to music (this and being hungry are always clear signs of better days to me). This life is all about distractions. Break your routine, do something different, try working out, try exercising. Sometimes you may feel worse initially but it can bring delayed benefits. Try forcing yourself to be with friends or family and force yourself to engage in conversation even if you are not feeling sociable. I know I know I know I KNOW this is sometimes easier said than done, but the more you can push bad thoughts from your head, the more the depression and brain fog will lift. This drug has created a new life for all of us, but the degree to which we accept it is more in our hands than some realize. There is hope, because I promise you better days are in store. Hell, I’m writing this during one of my not-so-good days if that tells you anything. Hang in there, bud. I am here if you need me too.
Mental side effects got a lot better for me after about a year.
I agree with the suggestions above. Exercise, cut out stress, meet people. You will get better.
hi guys
i am 5.5 months out from quitting, and have been put on a mood stabiliser (lamictal) due to a family history if bi polar. Although this may seem drastic to some of you, I really do feel that the sweeping changes in mood have somewhat calmed down due to the drug.
I suggest you do see a psychiatrist and perhaps talk to him about getting on one of these medications. While it has sone nasty side effects (deadly skin rash for one) it has little to no effect on ED or libido (so says the side effects websites anyway - my experience has been positive in this regard). Lamictal also has antidepressant qualities but is not an ssri.
I was on the verge of suicide without the drug, and have been able to maintain a good job (I’m a lawyer in a large firm) all through this.
FYI my sexual side effects cleared up after a few months, but the depression has remained. I’m hopeful this will clear up with time.
How can you be certain your issues are due to Finasteride if this is the case?
sacred: all the advice given above is good. The truest thing is that it definitely does get better, it may take well over a year but then you could be on the planet for another sixty years or more so don’t be disheartened. Also, while it is horrible to go through this so young you do at least have the possibility of still being young when it gets resolved. I wish I could give you some cast iron remedy but everyone has to navigate their own way through the problems hardcore PFS deals you in relationships, employment and lifestyle by themselves and hopefully come out the other side. It helps to have other distractions and one or two people you can trust.
Don’t be so judgemental. His psych probably heard his family history and put two and two together to make five. He’s hardly the first guy to get severe depression post fin.
Its not about being judgemental, its a valid question, especially if this individual plans to pursue legal options down the road. Such a pre-existing condition could likely disqualify him from pursuing this symptom in a lawsuit, or make his case less likely to win.
He’s not the first guy to get depression post-Fin, but most men do not have pre-existing psychological conditions which could compound symptoms or provide alternative explanations, either.
You’re right, there’s no way I can be sure these symptoms aren’t unrelated. They began within 6 weeks of coming off the drug and were accompanied with impotence, erectile dysfunction, brain zaps and insomnia. All these symptoms have subsided except for the depression.
I only had a family history also (maternal grandfather and uncle). I had not had any symptoms of bipolar pre-fin.
The symptoms on this board also accord with the symptoms i have experienced. This has included periods of normality followed by bouts of depression (usually no more than a few hours each time). I have also experienced depersonalization and brain fog intermittently.
i mention the family history because antidepressants are usually prescribed in circumstances of depression. In the case of a family history of bipolar, the dr will avoid prescribing antidepressants as it may cause the person to rapid cycle or enter into a manic state. Thus mood stabilizers are used instead.
I can’t predict whether this drug will assist anyone but if suicide is a serious concern. I do feel that the “crashes” people experience may be akin to epilepsy. Lamictal is also an anticonvulsant (ie for epilepsy) and has smoothed off those crashes. I understand the hesitance of you guys (i was also told propecia has “no side effects”) but those of us with crippling depression have little choice.
Mew I understand your hesitation regarding the use of psychological drugs, but unfortunately for me and many others purely psychological disorders do often arise spontaneously and are therefore very difficult to prove as causally related to a drug.
If a person is not seriously contemplating suicide and has an opportunity to join you in eradicating this terrible drug then i would definitely encourage them to do so. if the choice is between suicide and an antidepressant/other meducation then I woukd suggest they make the choice I did and go on the medication.
I am well aware that the nature of my condition and my family history would work against me in court. This makes my decision to go on psychological drugs even easier.
I, for one, can tell you that I have a family history of bi-polar disorder and even though i never pursued it… I’m SURE i could have received a diagnosis of it prior to fin and been put on anti-depressants.
I think anyone who is suffering from PFS KNOWS the difference.
We shouldn’t shoot down everyone’s approaches, Mew. Some of us will do anything to get past the debilitating mental side effects and have different theories of what has helped our bodies, and I RELY on people discussing this because I honestly don’t care about the lawsuit. My primary concern is becoming functional again via WHATEVER means (even - gasp - an SSRI).
I am thankful for this forum. Ive been doing an outpatient rehab for alcohol (only became a problem after fin). They have group discussion which is helpful, but even the alcoholics have a normal life to look forward to upon getting sober. No one at all can understand the diffuculties except these people on this forum. People in treatment im with seem happy, and healthy aside from addiction. They tell you to pray, exercise, be healthy, etc. But i wish they knew how hard life can really be! Not to belittle their problems, but im always thinking in the back of my mind, how meaningless the problems i thought i used to have. I have to believe we will find a solution one day.
Just feels nice to not have to explain it to people here. Everyone knows what its like. I am bad at explaining it to my family because i cant put it into words. Thats the only good thing about this im not totally alone and thankfully more media attention is getting out.
i got your back dude. let me know if you need someone to talk to. had the fog for years.
get skype if you can. easier to communicate, rather than coming to this depressing & sad forum.
Friend for depression and anxiety 5htp. Try it and you will not regret.
For MANY of us this condition does not resemble depression at all. It represents a total cognitive change and reality of consciousness, where many of us cannot even remember what it felt like to think clearly, or like ourselves, prior to this drugs usage.
The lawyers(in all due respect) could go fuck themselves. This is NOT depression for many with brain fog, and a prior history of depression should not disqualify you. They are simply being lazy and pushing this lawsuit faster. You will see down the road what I mean…In the meantime, “be over it and not under it.” Easier said than done? lol. I know…BUT, I can help teach you some skills to help you cope better if your interested. My pleasure.
Yes id take amything thats helped a person cope with this. Ive been reading alot and trying meditation. Its sad because i feel like i would enjoy the lifestyle im now trying to live if i had never taken fin. But i get only half the pleasure from trying to be physically and mentally healthy as i would pre fin.